A Lifetime
by xhidden.tearsx
Summary: They hadn't been together that long but it felt like it had been a lifetime. Lucas reflects on all of the important moments in his life that got him to where he is today. TOTALLY AU BRUCAS. Summary sucks but its much better than it sounds!


_**This is just a random oneshot, totally AU, about Brucas. They are best friends as you can tell but Lucas is in love with her. **_

_**The story shows many of the important moments in Lucas's life regarding Brooke.**_

_**Flashbacks are in BOLD ITALICS.**_

_**Present is in REGULAR FONT.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Everybody has a best friend. That one person that they know they can count on for anything.

For Lucas Scott that person was Brooke Davis.

He remembers the first time he ever met Brooke. They were five years old and wound up in the same kindergarten class together.

Although she is usually seen by most as brutally outspoken and blunt, Brooke wasn't always that way. Believe it or not, at the tender age of five she was very shy.

She clutched her mother's leg, begging her not to leave as she was left in that classroom all of those years ago. She watched as some of the kids interacted, but she didn't make an effort to make any friends, she just sat in the corner and colored by herself.

He remembers seeing her there, looking so lonely. He took in a deep breath and tapped her shoulder and she turned around with a blank expression.

"_**Hi, I'm Lucas," he offered, extending his hand towards her own.**_

_**She looked at him hesitantly before holding her own hand out and accepting the gesture. "I'm Brooke."**_

"_**You're pretty," he commented, causing a blush to creep across her face.**_

"_**Thank you," she whispered as she looked down.**_

"_**Can I color with you?"**_

"_**Okay," she nodded as he took the empty seat beside her.**_

"_**You know most boys are mean and gross but you're not like that," she smiled as she turned towards him.**_

_**He watched her scribble across the page with a green crayon, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she concentrated on the drawing. **_

He didn't realize it in that very moment, but that girl was about to become the biggest part of his life.

And so they became the best of friends from that moment on. They spent every waking second together.

There are so many moments in life that have shaped him into the person that he's become today.

He remembers being in the third grade. At the ripe age of eight years old, he thought he was on top of the world.

He can remember lying on the playground at recess, staring up at the sky in amazement, trying to make pictures out of the fluffy white clouds.

And of course, Brooke was right beside him the entire time.

"_**That cloud looks like an elephant!" Brooke squealed as she clapped her hands excitedly and pointed towards the cloud she was analyzing. "See?"**_

"_**It does not!" Lucas protested as he sent the brunette a look of confusion. "I can't possibly see how that looks like an elephant."**_

"_**See there's the trunk and the head and the body," she explained as she pointed towards each part she was describing.**_

"_**You're crazy, you know that?" he chuckled as he cast her a sidelong glance. **_

"_**I'm not crazy." She pretended to glare at him. In a second her expression changed and she smiled slightly. "Just imaginative."**_

"_**Look at that cloud," he spoke up as he lifted his finger towards the sky. "It's in the shape of a heart."**_

"_**That's so cool," Brooke grinned as her gaze followed his towards the cloud. "Lucas?" she asked, turning towards him.**_

"_**Yeah?"**_

"_**Do you think I'll ever fall in love?"**_

"_**One day," he nodded as he sent her an encouraging smile. "But for now, it's just me and you Davis, us against the world."**_

"_**You know Lucas; even if I do fall in love one day, you'll always be my best friend and no one else is gonna matter to me as much as you do."**_

"_**Same goes for you Brookie."**_

_**A moment of silence washed over the two kids as they stared out at the clouds hopelessly, wondering what the future had in store for them.**_

"_**Tag, you're it!" Brooke yelled suddenly as she reached over and poked Lucas. He looked at her strangely as she sprung up and ran away from him.**_

"_**Oh you're so dead!" he called after her as he picked himself up off the ground and ran after the brunette.**_

He also remembers another highlighting moment in his life that happened in the third grade.

Their group of two had expanded to four.

The class bully Owen was threatening to take her lunch money one Monday afternoon and Lucas was home sick from school, unable to defend her. He taunted her and teased her when the teacher's head was turned but nobody had the guts to stand up for her.

Except for one fiery blonde.

Peyton Sawyer was the poster child of fearless. She walked over to Owen and shoved him to the ground, making some comment about him being a jerk.

Of course, that little incident had earned her a nice warm spot in the principal's office.

But it also started a beautiful friendship.

And along with Peyton came Jake.

Jake Jagielski was Peyton's best friend, just Brooke was his. Both Brooke and Lucas had accepted Jake into their group with open arms and soon they became the inseparable foursome.

Two years later he entered the fifth grade and expanded his circle of friends even more.

Rachel Gatina, the new girl in school, was a fiery redhead, who at first bumped heads with Brooke.

It didn't take long for them to discover that they had many common interests and Brooke introduced Rachel to her friends. At first none of them liked Rachel but friendship grew over time and they all became fond of the feisty redhead.

The same year, Haley James also joined their group. Haley was an outsider and Brooke had spotted her sitting alone at lunch one day. She forced her friends, out of their will of course, to venture over to the lonely girl and offer to sit with her.

She turned them down.

But Brooke being Brooke, kept prying and eventually she caved. It turned out that Haley had a lot more in common with the five friends than she'd ever imagined and soon she became the sixth member of the soon to be seven best friends.

The seventh grade. That was a time that stuck out vividly in his mind. He remembers feeling awkward all the time as he went through the stages of puberty. Boys were starting to notice Brooke and her social status had sky rocketed as people passed her in the hallways and said hello. He was finally starting to see Brooke as a girl and not as just his best friend.

That year, Peyton and Jake took their friendship to the next level, after announcing to their group of friends that they were dating.

And with that came kissing.

He remembers her coming to him with a request that was so simple, yet so complicated.

"_**Hey B, what's up?" the blonde asked, turning towards his best friend. **_

"_**Not much. I was just hanging out with the girls," she shrugged as she casually flipped her body onto his bed, picked up the rubber basketball and flung it at the small net that was attached to his bedroom door, watching it go in with ease. "Actually, I came over here to ask you for a favor."**_

_**He quickly turned his head, intrigued by her question. "Does it involve me breaking the law? Because if it does…" he trailed on, sending her a smile. "You know I'd only do it for you."**_

"_**No , it doesn't involve you breaking the law," she smiled, her dimples etching across her face. "But it's good to know that you'd break the law for me."**_

"_**Don't you be getting any ideas now," he teased as he took a seat beside her on the bed. "But seriously B, what's up?"**_

_**She bit her lip nervously, a habit she'd possessed as a small child, and looked at her hands as she spoke. "Well I was talking to Peyton today and she told me about her first kiss with Jake…"**_

"_**Yeah, so?"**_

"_**And the way she explained it was so magical," Brooke gushed as she felt a smile creep across her face. "I want to feel that magic so badly!"**_

"_**And what exactly can I do about that?" Lucas chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck with his hand.**_

"_**Well," she shrugged. "Peyton told me that having someone you're comfortable with to share your first kiss is better so I thought that maybe you could… I don't know… kiss me."**_

"_**Um, wow, uh… okay…" he stammered, unsure of what to say.**_

_**But he couldn't turn Brooke Davis down.**_

_**There was no point in even trying. She had him wrapped around her perfectly manicured little finger.**_

_**Slowly, he leaned in so that their lips were just a mere inch apart. He could feel her hot breath tickling his neck and it sent chills up and down his spine. He was about to kiss his best friend.**_

"_**So um, do I go that way or this way?" she asked, pointing in both directions as she let out a nervous chuckle.**_

"_**Um that way, I think," he pointed to his left as they leaned in but they ended up bonking heads instead.**_

"_**Okay… let's try that again," she chuckled infectiously as she tried to shake the embarrassment off. She was glad that it was Lucas because they could laugh it off in a couple of days.**_

"_**Okay…" he nodded as he leaned in again, this time capturing her lips with his.**_

_**The kiss only lasted a second and then it was done.**_

_**They both looked at each other before bursting out into a fit of simultaneous giggles.**_

"_**Well, we are never doing that again," Brooke grimaced as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "I don't know what Peyton was smoking when she said it was magical."**_

"_**Yeah it was awkward," Lucas agreed as he stood up from the edge of the bed.**_

"_**Let's go to the rivercourt and shoot some hoops," she suggested with a crooked smile as she pulled herself up from the bed.**_

"_**First one there gets first ball!" Lucas declared as he grabbed the ball and raced out the door, Brooke hot on his tail.**_

And just like that, their friendship was back to normal.

He can feel a smile cross his lips as he reminisces about the time he and Brooke shared their first kiss.

At the time it was awkward and gross for the both of them.

But thinking back on it, it was romantic.

The next year was probably the hardest year of Brooke's entire life. She lost someone that she loved more than life itself.

She was just thirteen years old when the world took Richard Davis away from the ones he loved in a single violent and tragic moment.

He can remember her locking herself away in her room, crying until she was out of tears.

It wasn't fair that her father had to suffer from someone else's shortcomings. He wasn't the one that chose to get behind the wheel after slamming back a few drinks.

Yet he was the one that suffered.

And she and the members of her family were the ones left to grieve as the heinous murderer got off the hook.

Nobody could get through to her in her darkest moment of despair. Not Peyton or Rachel or Haley or Jake or her older brother Clay. Not even her mother-who was putting on a brave front and trying to act strong of the sake of her children-despite the fact that she was crumbling on the inside as her world was ripped away from her. But there was one person that she let in. That person was Lucas.

"_**Come on Brooke, please just open up!" Lucas demanded tiredly as he rubbed his hand over his sleep deprived eyes.**_

_**No response.**_

_**He'd been sitting outside her bedroom door all night, demanding that she let him in.**_

_**It had been exactly one week since Richard Davis had left the earth in a cruel and tragic way, leaving the Davis family in ruins. Brooke had only emerged from her bedroom for his funeral two days ago and she had barely spoken a word to anyone.**_

"_**Brooke… please?" he tried again, his voice growing tired. **_

_**He was ready to finally give up and give her some time to grieve on her own, when he heard the door open slightly. **_

_**She looked broken.**_

_**Her hair was a matted mess, her eyes were puffy and red, she looked like she hadn't slept in days and to top it all off, her skin was pale and washed out.**_

_**She looked like death.**_

"_**Brooke…" he whispered serenely as he stepped inside the bedroom, wincing at the sound of the door harshly slamming behind him.**_

_**She didn't say a word, she just made her way over to her bed, lied down and clutched her pillow as a new batch of tears fell from her eyes.**_

_**She hated being vulnerable in front of Lucas.**_

"_**It's gonna be okay," Lucas whispered as he rubbed her back soothingly. "I know that there are no words that I can say to convince you of this but I know that it's gonna be okay. Richard was an incredible man and I will forever miss him but I know that he'd want you to move on with your life and not be miserable all the time. I mean look at your mom. God knows she's breaking on the inside but on the outside she puts up this incredibly strong front because she has to. For you and for the rest of her family. But I know that it's gonna be okay because you have me Brooke and I'm not going anywhere."**_

"_**It's not fair!" she cried out in an angst-ridden voice. "Some stupid, inconsiderate asshole chose to take the wheel while he was inebriated and now we all have to pay for it. This isn't right. He didn't do anything and if this is fate's twist and fucked up way of saying that everything happens of a reason, then I don't believe it."**_

"_**The healing process is gonna be a long one," Lucas attempted a small smile as he held the brunette close and stroked her hair. "But I'm gonna be here every step of the way okay?"**_

"_**Okay," she nodded as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.**_

_**Lucas slid under the silk sheets beside the broken brunette. He placed his arms attentively around her petite waste and pulled himself closer to her. "Let's try and grab some sleep Brookie."**_

"_**I love you Lucas Scott, you know that right?" she whispered as the darkness consumed them.**_

"_**Yeah I do. And I love you too Brooke Davis.**_

They meant those words in a just friends kind of way but they surely had no idea that those words were going to affect them deeply in the years to come.

He remembers staying with her with her pretty much all week. He took some time off school to be with her. They curled up on her bed and watched movies, while gorging themselves with Ben & Jerry's.

It took a lot of time for her to accept the fact that Richard was dead and never coming back.

But she got through it because of him.

The next year was another one of importance. He remembers being in the ninth grade and starting his first year at Tree Hill High. He was scared shitless of starting over from the bottom of the food chain yet again. But luckily, he had Brooke, Peyton, Rachel, Haley, and Jake by his side.

She had her first boyfriend at fourteen. In previous years she'd flirted with and even kissed a few guys but she'd never actually dated one before.

Chase Adam was a year older than her and when he took an interest in her, she was elated. He asked her out on a date and after that a few more. After about the fourth date, they made it official.

Lucas however, didn't like him.

Thinking back on it, Lucas never liked any of her boyfriends.

Lucas had been in love with her for a lot longer than she'd thought. She'd just been too blind to see it.

"_**Brooke there's something I need to tell you," Lucas said as he paced her bedroom, trying to think of how to tell her that her boyfriend was cheating on her with Haley's older sister. **_

_**He had been over at Haley's working on a project the other day when he saw something that would forever alter Brooke's life.**_

_**He had excused himself to use the washroom but her older brother was taking a shower so he was forced to use the one in the basement. Taylor, Haley's older and very slutty, sister's bedroom just so happened to be in the basement. And when he exited the bathroom, through the open bedroom door, he saw Chase and Taylor going at it.**_

"_**What is it?" she asked as she flipped through a magazine absentmindedly, her feet perched up on the desk. **_

"_**Okay… there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna come out and say it…"**_

"_**Lucas, you're scaring me," Brooke deadpanned as she closed the magazine and folded her arms across her chest, realizing the seriousness of this conversation.**_

"_**Chase is cheating on you!" he blurted out in one brisk motion. "I saw him when I was at Haley's the other day. He slept with her sister Taylor."**_

"_**Excuse me?"**_

"_**I'm sorry Brooke. I'm so sorry that this happened to you," Lucas whispered as he tried to pull her into a hug. "But I couldn't keep it a secret. It wouldn't be fair to you and you deserve to know."**_

"_**Don't," she growled as she pushed him away with her tiny fist. "Stop trying to come up with excuses because you don't like Chase. Okay, I get it. That you don't like Chase I mean. That's fine, I never asked you to like him. But, telling me that he's cheating on me with Taylor fucking James of all people. That's just low."**_

"_**I didn't lie to you Brooke!" he raised his voice, anger coursing throughout his body. Why would she accuse him of lying about this? "I saw what I saw. I just thought that you should know. Sorry for caring."**_

_**He turned to leave, when her voice caused him to whip around. "You're just jealous."**_

"_**Jealous of what?" he bit back. She couldn't possibly know, could she?**_

"_**I don't know. But you are jealous of something," she insisted accusingly.**_

_**She couldn't know how he felt. He wouldn't jeopardize their friendship.**_

"_**Yeah I am," he replied back. "I'm jealous that you're gonna spend all your time and forget about me."**_

"_**Lucas," she looked him dead in the eye. "Is that what you think? That I'll forget about? Because, you are my best friend and I've told you time and time again that no guy is worth losing you over, no matter how he makes me feel."**_

"_**Sorry," he offered with a small disheartened smile. "I just… I don't know. I can't lose you okay?"**_

"_**I'm not going anywhere," she answered in return. "But that doesn't change the fact that you keep telling me my boyfriend cheated on me."**_

"_**Well he did," Lucas answered honestly as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "And if you can't believe me, then maybe this friendship should be over.**_

_**Then he was gone.**_

_**Xxxx**_

"_**Lucas…"**_

_**He looked up to see the brunette staring at him. She'd left him a dozen voicemails today, all of which he'd deleted without even listening to.**_

"_**Doesn't me ignoring your voicemails make you get the hint?" he asked coldly, turning away from her and focusing his attention back on his computer.**_

"_**I'm sorry okay?" she asked, turning towards him. "I believe you. I was just too stupid to see it."**_

"_**You do?"**_

"_**Yeah, I do believe you," she smiled back as she made him face her. "I went to see Chase today. I told him what you accused him of. He asked me to choose between you and him…"**_

"_**And?"**_

"_**I chose him," she whispered as she turned her back and prepared to leave.**_

"_**Seriously? And just like that you're gonna walk out on a nine year friendship that was supposedly worth no boy over no matter how he makes you feel?"**_

"_**God Lucas, you're such an idiot," she rolled her eyes as a grin broke out across her face. "Do you honestly think that I would choose Chase over you? I broke up with him and then he confessed his sins and admitted to cheating on me with not only Taylor but also several other girls…"**_

"_**Brooke…" he breathed out as he stood up and opened his arms for her. "I'm so sorry."**_

"_**It's okay," she whispered. "It's gonna be okay right?" She looked to him for reassurance.**_

"_**Yeah," he nodded as he stroked her hair. "It's all gonna be okay."**_

"_**I'm sorry I didn't believe you," she whispered, peering up at him from her spot in his arms.**_

He isn't sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way, he fell in love with his best friend. After she hit puberty, she blossomed into this amazingly gorgeous woman who had guys practically drooling over her.

The following year, something that would forever change his life and forever be imprinted in the back of his mind, happened.

He slept with his best friend.

"_**Is something wrong with me?" Brooke asked as frustration flashed across her face. "I mean seriously? Why can't I just do it? I have guys practically begging me to sleep with them, yet I can't do it!"**_

"_**Brooke, look at me," Lucas demanded as he grabbed her chin and lifted it up. "Nothing is wrong with you. When you're ready, the time will come."**_

"_**But everyone in our group has lost their virginity except me and Haley!" Brooke growled as she flopped down on the bed. "And Haley doesn't count because she believes in abstinence!"**_

"_**I'm still a virgin," he reminded her.**_

"_**Yeah I guess," she shrugged as she rolled over onto her back. "I just… I don't know… I'm in a rush to grow up."**_

"_**I hate to ask this," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "But if you wanna do it, then why don't you just do it?"**_

"_**Because I'm scared!" she admitted, instantly covering her mouth with her hand. He looked at her with shock written all across his face. He never would have imagined that Brooke would be scared. "There, I said it. I'm scared, okay?"**_

"_**It's normal to be scared, you know?"**_

"_**Yeah, I know," she nodded as she clasped her hands together. "But I talked to Peyton about it…"**_

"_**Oh god, no good can come from this," he said sarcastically, earning a glare in return.**_

"_**Just be glad I didn't talk to Rachel about this, who knows what kind of advice that slut would have given me," she giggled.**_

"_**Good point."**_

"_**So anyways, Peyton seems to think that I should pick someone that I'm comfortable with for my first time. She said that I won't feel as scared or have any pressure put on me that way…" **_

_**He noticed her biting her lip. That could only mean one thing. **_

_**She wanted something from him.**_

"_**Oh no," he put his hands up and backed away. "There's no way in hell…"**_

"_**Lucas, please?" she begged, standing up and walking over towards him. "I won't ever ask for anything again." They both knew that was a lie.**_

"_**Brooke... I can't okay?" he whispered. "I'm still a virgin myself and you're my best friend…"**_

"_**Well, I guess I'll probably just be a virgin for life…"**_

"_**Don't be dramatic," he rolled his eyes in a lighthearted fashion.**_

"_**Fine… But I will probably end up joining Haley's abstinence club then…"**_

"_**What if we ruin our friendship?" he asked as he momentarily closed his eyes. She was guilt tripping him into this. "I can't afford to lose you as my friend."**_

"_**You won't lose me."**_

"_**You don't know that Brooke okay? I mean, what if it gets really awkward and we end up never being the same around each other. It could change things for us."**_

"_**Only if we let it," she tried to reason with him. "Or we can just look at it as practice for the future. Please…?"**_

_**He knew he was hooked.**_

"_**Okay…"**_

_**Why in the hell he was agreeing to this was beyond him.**_

That night had been one of pleasure. He would always remember it. To him, everything had felt so right. Unfortunately, she couldn't feel the same things that he was feeling. For her, it was just sex. For him, it was a whole lot more. He felt things that he'd never felt before and quite honestly if he was comparing Brooke to any other girl he'd slept with, she was by far the best.

Junior year. That was one year that he was never going to forget. Brooke had gotten her first real heartbreak during junior year. She fell and she fell hard. Too bad the guy she fell for was a major asshole, even worse than Chase.

Felix Taggaro was popular, rich and good looking. He ran within the same social circle as Brooke, who had expanded her circle of friends. Felix was a senior and Brooke had taken an instant liking to him as Lucas watched from the sidelines.

The day that he broke her heart was the day that everything came crumbling down.

"_**Why am I not enough Lucas?" she asked innocently as she looked up at Lucas, tears falling down her face. "Am I really that repulsive?"**_

"_**Brooke, look at me," he commanded as she turned and stared at her best friend. They had spent the entire day in her bed watching old movies and eating icecream to mend her broken heart. "You are not repulsive. You are anything but repulsive and any boy that can't see that is an idiot," he smiled as he reached up and brushed her cheek. "And you are enough. You are enough for me and everyone else that loves you. If you weren't enough for Felix then maybe he should get a reality check."**_

"_**Why do I always fall for jerks?" she asked as she spooned some icecream into her mouth. "Every guy I ever date is always such an asshole."**_

"_**You're young Brooke. One day, you'll find the right guy, when you are older and more mature."**_

"_**You'll find the right girl too," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around Lucas. "You are such an amazing guy and any girl would be lucky to have you."**_

_**But, he'd already found her.**_

_**And he was beginning to think that she was never gonna love him back.**_

"_**Let's make a pact," she turned to him as a smile spread across her face.**_

"_**What kind of pact?"**_

"_**That if we are both still single by the time we are thirty that we will get married."**_

"_**That's crazy," he laughed as he shook his head. "But, I think it's a good pact." He held his pinky out and she grinned as she linked hers with his.**_

He let out a small laugh as he thought of that moment. It had taken her some time to get over Felix but after him, she never fell for another jerk again.

Senior year. Senior year was supposed a time to remember as they made memories that would never fade away. He can remember some pretty life altering events that happened in one of the hardest times of his life.

And there was one person that was there for him through all of it. Brooke.

He sparked a friendship with his half-brother Nathan during senior year. At 17, they finally put their rocky and fucked up past behind them in order to win the state championship. Brooke had joined the cheer squad junior year and convinced Lucas to join the basketball team. Much of the year had been spent fighting with and hating Nathan. But, senior year had been the year that they decided to bond together in order to win the coveted state championship during Whitey's last year as head coach of the Tree Hill Ravens.

And they did just that.

But, there was a significant event that happened before the state championship. One that would forever alter his life.

"_**Brooke, I have to tell you something," Lucas whispered as he stood beside her on the rivercourt.**_

"_**What's that?" she asked as she tossed the ball at the net, watching it swish in with ease.**_

"_**I think we should sit down for this one."**_

"_**I think I'll stand," she answered firmly, her hands folded across her chest. "What's wrong?"**_

"_**Brooke, I want you to understand that I love you very much and you are my best friend and this is very hard for me to tell you because you've already lost so much in the past few years…"**_

"_**Just get to the point," she growled, clearly thinking that whatever Lucas had to tell her had to do with their friendship.**_

_**And it had everything to do with their friendship.**_

"_**I have HCM."**_

"_**HCM? What the hell is that?" she asked as she blinked in confusion. "Why does it sound familiar?"**_

"_**Dan has it…" Lucas spoke as he played with his hands. "It's a genetic heart disease."**_

"_**A genetic what?" Brooke screeched, unable to comprehend what he was telling her.**_

"_**A genetic heart disease," Lucas repeated. "Just hear me out okay?"**_

_**She nodded as fear swirled in the depths of her hazel orbs. She was scared.**_

"_**Vigorous exercise and high amounts of stress can cause me to go into cardiac arrest-in other words I can have a heart attack- and if I don't take my pills," he explained as he held the bottle up. "I could die."**_

"_**.God," were the only words that escaped her lips as she brought her hand to her mouth. "Lucas..."**_

"_**I'm scared," he admitted as he looked at the ground. "I'm scared as hell."**_

_**She wrapped her arms around him as they collapsed onto the rivercourt. She stroked his hair and rubbed his back as he cried into her shoulder. **_

"_**I can't lose you," she whispered as tears fell from mascara coated eyes. "I've already lost one person I loved more than life itself. If I lose another, it will destroy me."**_

"_**I'm not going anywhere," he promised as they clutched onto each other.**_

He grinned as that memory came flooding back to him. She had been there for him that day and she had given him the strength to get through.

Senior year was also the year that the Ravens won the state championship. Lucas had only been allowed to play a limited number of minutes each game due to his heart condition.

But he scored the winning basket.

"_**LUCAS!" Brooke yelled as she hurled herself into his arms. "You won!"**_

"_**How did it feel?" she asked as he let go of the embrace. "You know to make that winning shot?"**_

"_**It felt amazing."**_

"_**How many moments in life can you point to and say that's when it all changed?" Brooke grinned as confetti fell around them.**_

"_**Definitely having one of those moments right now," he smiled as he Nathan walked by and gave Lucas a clap on the back, followed by a good game.**_

"_**You never imagined that you and Nathan would be friends, did you?" Brooke asked with a slight smile.**_

"_**Never in a million years," Lucas agreed. Nathan had become the seventh and final member of their close-knit group. And he also captured the heart of Haley James. "But he's a good guy. He just got dealt a shitty family. You can't choose your family."**_

"_**I'm so proud of you," Brooke smiled as she wrapped her arms around Lucas.**_

"_**We've come a long way," he grinned as he pulled out of the embrace.**_

"_**I've gotta go see Peyton," Brooke announced, glancing at her friend. "But, I'll see you tonight after the game?"**_

"_**You can count on it," he smiled as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. **_

_**Who do you want standing next to you when all of your dreams come true? **_

_**Peyton's words rung in his head. Those were the very words that she had asked him a few nights ago when she outright asked him if he was in love with Brooke. **_

_**And his answer was I don't know**_

_**But he did know.**_

_**He just wasn't ready to admit it yet.**_

He remembers being eighteen and leaving Tree Hill behind.

They had different dreams, different plans. And now hundreds of miles were gonna separate them.

Haley and Nathan would be close as they both got accepted into Duke. Nathan was attending on a full ride scholarship and Haley would be working towards her bachelor of education. Lucas was attending UNC in hopes of becoming a writer one day. Jake and Peyton were both heading out to LA where she would take on an internship at Sire Records and he would study business at UCLA. Rachel was travelling the world on a modeling contract and would be heading to Paris tomorrow. And finally there was Brooke. Brooke was going to New York, where her mother had decided to move. They were going to build a fashion empire together.

"_**I don't wanna go," Brooke whispered quietly as she shuffled her feet back and forth. "I don't wanna lose you."**_

"_**You won't lose me okay?" Lucas promised. "We are gonna visit each other all the time and call every single day."**_

"_**I don't know what I'm gonna do without my best friend."**_

"_**Brooke you're gonna do great. I don't know if I've ever told you this but you're gonna change the world someday."**_

"_**Lucas…" she sighed as she ran a hand over her face. "I'm just gonna go out into the world and try to make sense of this puzzle called life. I'm not going to change the world."**_

"_**You've already changed mine," he smiled brightly as he pulled her in for a hug. "And I will always love you for it."**_

"_**I hate goodbyes," she cried as she clung to him with a tight grip. "I'm always afraid that they will be the final goodbye."**_

"_**But it's not," he smiled as he brushed his fingers across her cheek. "There will never be any final goodbyes with us."**_

_**Her mother honked the horn, indicating that it was time to leave. "I have to go," she whispered as she smiled through her tears. "I'm gonna miss you and I love you okay?"**_

"_**I love you too B and I'll miss you more than you'll ever know."**_

_**She sent him a sad smile before turning and walking towards the car.**_

"_**Wait!" he called after and smiled as she turned around. He was about to tell his best friend that he loved her and always had. While his heart was telling him to take the risk his mind was telling him that it wasn't right. The timing was awful.**_

_**Like always, his mind won.**_

"_**What?"**_

"_**The world doesn't stand a chance," he grinned as he waved for afar. She sent him a smile before turning back around and getting in the car.**_

_**He watched the car pull away from his house, taking away the one thing that he couldn't live without.**_

_**His best friend.**_

He can remember being nineteen and visiting her in New York. That night was one that he will never forget.

_**He stood in front of a small building labeled clothes over bro's. He remembers her telling him in a letter all about the company she and her mother have started to form. It's still small but she's done amazing.**_

_**He takes in a deep breath before pulling the door open and entering. The bell above the door jingles and he sees a familiar face.**_

"_**Lucas?" she turned to him in question, almost not believing what she is seeing.**_

"_**Hey," he smiled as he opened his arms for the older brunette. "It's good to see you Victoria."**_

"_**You too Luke," she grinned as she let go of him. "So how is UNC?**_

"_**It's good," he nodded as he scanned the room for his favorite brunette. "Where's Brooke?"**_

"_**She's in her office. Why don't you go surprise her?"**_

_**He nodded and ventured down the hallway, stopping when he saw a doo with the name Brooke Davis scrawled across the door.**_

_**He slowly brought his hand down and twisted the knob, pushing the door open. Things were immaculately placed on shelves and perfectly organized. She was sitting at her desk, typing away on her computer.**_

"_**Not now mom," she groaned, without even turning. "I'm really busy."**_

"_**Well, that's too bad. I was hoping we could have lunch together," he whispered huskily as she placed his hands over her eyes.**_

_**She quickly whipped around and threw her arms around him. "Lucas!" she screamed as a tear slipped from her eye. "Oh my god, I thought you were never coming back for me."**_

"_**I told you I was busy and I'd come when I had time. I made a promise didn't I?"**_

"_**It's been a year."**_

"_**And, you haven't made it down to North Carolina," he pointed out. "I know you've been busy. We both have but I'm here now and I'd love to spend some time with you."**_

_**Xxxx**_

"_**So your company is still in the process of expanding?" Lucas asked as he took a bite of his pasta.**_

"_**Yeah, mom wants to expand it so we are gonna take drastic measures," Brooke nodded as she sipped her water. "What about you? All we've done is talk about me."**_

"_**UNC is good. My family is all good and Nathan and Haley are still going strong."**_

"_**Yeah, I still talk to them periodically. But, everyone is so busy. I just never imagined that it would be like this, you know? I thought we'd all be attending the same school and seeing each other every day…"**_

"_**It's hard," Lucas agreed. "So are you seeing anyone?"**_

"_**Nah," she waved him off with her hand and took a bite of her salad. "I've been so busy with work that I haven't really been dating much these days.**_

_**As they talked, he couldn't help but notice how much she'd changed in the course of just one year. She was always talking about work and she didn't keep in contact with anyone much.**_

_**He felt like he was slowly losing her.**_

_**And it got worse as the years progressed.**_

He remembers being twenty two and having his first novel published. He moved back to Tree Hill after college graduation as did Nathan and Haley and also Jake and Peyton. Rachel even came back when she had a break from modeling. But, Brooke never did. In fact as the years progressed she cut off all contact with her former friends from Tree Hill. She just vanished.

He remembers the day she came back. It was one that he would never forget.

_**She was a superstar now. Her clothing company had gone national and was now the number one clothing brand in America. But even with all the success, something was missing. At least that was what she claimed when she set foot in the town she'd left four years ago.**_

_**He was working in this mother's café, holding down the fort while she travelled the world with Keith and Lilly. He heard the bell above the door jingle and considering that there wasn't a single customer in the café, he looked up to see who it was.**_

_**The coffee pot he was holding in his hand came crashing down as he spotted the last person he expected to see.**_

_**"Still make the best cup of coffee in town?" she asked as she lifted her sunglasses of f of her eyes and slid them on top of her head. "Where's Karen?"**_

_**How could she be acting so cool about this?**_

"_**She's travelling the world with her husband and daughter," Lucas answered sharply as he stood behind the counter, pretending to be busy.**_

"_**I missed her wedding?"**_

"_**Well there was no point in inviting you since you lost contact with all of us."**_

"_**Look I'm sorry for what I did Luke…"**_

"_**It's fine Brooke, we are adults now. I'm not gonna be childish and treat you like some kind of monster for cutting of all ties with us. I just wanna know why you did it?"**_

"_**I was scared," she admitted, looking at the floor as she spoke. "I was scared that I had drifted too far away living in New York and that you guys had forgotten about me. The best way to move on was to forget. Or at least try to forget. But I couldn't and I'm back now because I miss Tree Hill and I wanted to see you and everyone else. I'm gonna make an effort to visit whenever I can from here on out."**_

_**She was fidgeting with her hands when he noticed the sparkling ringer that adorned her finger. He quickly reached for her hand and lifted it. "You're married?"**_

"_**Engaged actually," she smiled. "He's a really great guy. That's why I'm back actually… We are planning on getting married soon and wanted the wedding to be in Tree Hill."**_

"_**Wow," he breathed out as he examined the ring. "He must be loaded."**_

"_**He's a movie producer. His name is Julian and I'd love for you to meet him because he might actually be the first guy I've dated that you approve of."**_

_**I doubt that, Lucas thought. But of course, he kept that afterthought to himself. **_

A smile was brought to his face as he remembered that day. She had never looked so beautiful to him, with chocolate locks spilling down her back and her hazel glistening in the sun.

She was all he wanted.

But sadly she wasn't his to have.

And they'd changed so much over the years.

He didn't think things would ever be the same between them.

He remembers the day she walked down the aisle, preparing to spend the rest of her life with Julian Baker. Lucas had actually liked him-even though he wanted nothing more than to hate him. Julian was a good guy and from what he could see, Julian treated Brooke the way that she deserved to be treated.

But that still didn't change the empty void in his heart.

The void that ached for Brooke.

_**Sunlight streamed in through the open window, illuminating the perfect bride. She looked beautiful in her dress and her makeup and hair were immaculately applied. **_

"_**You ready?" Lucas asked as he poked his head inside the room.**_

"_**As I'll ever be," she whispered quietly, the smile on her face faltering.**_

"_**What's wrong?" he asked, stepping inside and closing the door behind himself.**_

"_**What if this is wrong?" she asked, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "What if Julian isn't the one for me?"**_

"_**Do you love him?"**_

"_**Yeah," Brooke answered shakily. "I think so anyways. He's a great guy and I do love him but I don't know if I'm in love with him."**_

"_**Well only you can know for sure Brooke," Lucas smiled encouragingly as he patted her shoulder. "Just follow your heart."**_

_**He held his arm out for the brunette, who linked her arms with his and began the long and agonizing walk down the aisle.**_

_**It was only natural that Lucas walk Brooke down the aisle. **_

_**Because Brooke's father was dead, she had nobody to walk her. It was either Lucas or Clay. And she was closer with Lucas than she was with Clay. **_

_**He was her best friend and he was gonna be the one to give her away.**_

_**XXXX**_

_**As the ceremony passed on, Lucas found himself staring at the beautiful brunette. He was mesmerized at how beautiful she looked. **_

_**And he wanted her so badly. **_

_**He wanted to stand up and tell her why marrying this guy was wrong.**_

_**But he couldn't.**_

"_**Do you Julian Paul Baker take Brooklyn Penelope Davis to be your lawfully wedded wife?"**_

"_**I do."**_

"_**And do you Brooklyn Penelope Davis take Julian Paul Baker to be your lawfully wedded husband?"**_

_**He was waiting.**_

_**Waiting for those dreadful two words to escape her lips in perfect rhythm.**_

_**She looked at Julian, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke. "I… I can't… I can't marry you. Because I'm in love with someone else…"**_

_**The audience erupted into a serious of gasps and soon Brooke was running out the church.**_

_**She was in love with someone else.**_

_**The words cut him like a knife.**_

_**Who could it possibly be?**_

"_**Brooke!" he yelled as he followed her out of the church.**_

"_**What do you want Lucas?" she asked harshly, turning around with a cold glare fixated on her face. **_

"_**Who is it?" he asked as he took in a deep breath. "The guy you're in love with."**_

"_**It doesn't matter," she whispered as she climbed into her car. "I'm going back to New York."**_

_**With that her car sped away and he stood there dejectedly, beginning to think that fate would forever be against them**_

"_**You'd be an idiot not to go after her."**_

_**He whipped around and saw Peyton standing behind him along with Jake, Haley, Nathan and Rachel. **_

"_**What?"**_

"_**We all know you love her man," Nathan spoke up as he stepped forward. "And trust me, if you don't take the plunge, you'll never know what could have been."**_

"_**You heard her Nate, she's in love with someone else."**_

"_**Well then go talk to her and at least tell her how you feel. She deserves to know the truth."**_

_**XXXX**_

"_**Brooke!"**_

"_**I'm leaving," the fashionista stated plainly as she began throwing clothes into her bag.**_

"_**Tell me who it is," he pleaded as he grabbed her waist and made her spin around to face him. "I need to know."**_

"_**Lucas, this is just one of those things that needs to stay buried."**_

"_**Okay, fine," Lucas ran a hand tiredly through his blonde locks. "I'll tell you something that I've been holding back for about ten years now. Give or take a few because I can't pinpoint the exact moment that it happened. I just know that it did."**_

"_**Lucas what are you…"**_

"_**I was in love with you Brooke. I still am. And you were just too blind to see it…"**_

"_**Lucas…" Tears fall from her eyes impetuously. "I don't know what to say… I… God, how could I have not known?"**_

"_**It first started around the time you and Chase dated. I wasn't jealous that you'd forget about me. I was jealous of Chase. When we uh… slept together, I felt real things. When Felix broke your heart, I felt the urge to make it whole again. When you left for New York and I asked you to turn around I was gonna tell you how I felt but I freaked out. When I watched you walked down that aisle just now, I almost died. I love you Brooke and I always have. I realize that I may have just ruined our friendship but let's face it, it hasn't been the same in a very long time and I couldn't let you leave without telling you that."**_

"_**Now that you mention it, it was pretty obvious," she grinned as she stepped forward and looked into his blue orbs. "Wanna know who I'm in love with?"**_

"_**No not really," he shook his head. "I just ripped my heart out to you and I don't really feel like hearing some other guys name come out of your mouth."**_

"_**What if I told you that it wasn't some other guy?"**_

"_**W-what…?"**_

"_**It's you Lucas," she smiled as she grabbed his face with her hands. "I realized that I was in love with you right before I married Julian. I was reflecting back on my life and I thought of something. It's you that I want standing next to me when all my dreams come true. I don't think the distance is what changed us over the years. We fell in love with each other and that's what changed us. It's hard to have the same friendship we used to when you're in love."**_

_**She didn't give him any time to respond to her confession as she stood on her tippy-toes and kissed him with everything that she had. **_

_**When air became an issue and they pulled apart, Brooke rested her forehead against Lucas's. "Bet you didn't see that one coming?"**_

"_**Never in a million years."**_

"_**God, I love you," she smiled as she ran her finger along his cheek. "I'm sorry that it took me so damn long to realize it."**_

"_**And I'm sorry that it took me so damn long to tell you," he smiled as he captured her lips in another perfect kiss.**_

_**XXXX**_

"_**Nothing's gonna change right?" Brooke asked as she looked up at Lucas. They were lying in bed after a night that neither was going to forget.**_

"_**No," Lucas smiled as he kissed the side of her neck. "I love you and I always will."**_

"_**It's been one hell of a ride," she said as she traced imaginary patterns along his chest. "But I'm glad that I got to experience all of this with you."**_

"_**Where do you think we'll be in the next ten years or so?"**_

_**She was completely taken aback by his question.**_

_**But she already knew the answer.**_

_**She'd always known the answer.**_

"_**Well… we are gonna be a power couple of course. But, we have to live in Tree Hill because it's home. We would have two boys and a girl. And maybe a dog too. And we would have to have a house with a red door because I love being the girl behind the red door. And we would be married of course."**_

"_**I like your future. It sounds like you've done lots of planning."**_

"_**I've always known what our future was gonna be like," she smiled as she leaned up and kissed him. "I love you."**_

"_**I love you too babe. Let's get some sleep though and be prepared for them to grill us with questions tomorrow."**_

"_**Ugh… so not looking forward to that," she rolled her eyes in mock sarcasm. **_

And in that moment, his life was finally complete.

He flipped the page of the old photo album and smiled.

All of these moments were just another chapter in the epic love story of Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott.

"Babe what are you doing?"

A smile crossed his face as he felt two arms wrap around his torso.

"Hey," he smiled as he turned around and gave his wife a kiss. "I was just reminiscing."

"I do that a lot too," she admitted as she handed him a cup of coffee and rubbed her belly.

"There's something I want to tell you."

"Okay…" he nodded as she picked up the photo album and shoved it back in the appropriate box.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?"

"You know like I have a bun in the oven, a baby…"

"Yeah I know what pregnant is Brooke… I'm not retarded. I thought you couldn't have kids?"

"The doctor said it's a miracle," she smiled as a few tears escaped her eyes. "Our miracle."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," she smiled.

"Oh my god Brooke, I'm gonna be a dad! We're having a baby!" Lucas screamed as he picked his wife up and swung her around in the air. He placed a passionate kiss on her lips as he set her back down.

They had the rest of their lives ahead of them.

But why did it feel like they'd already had a lifetime together?

* * *

_**AN: Okay, so the ending was not like I wanted it to be and this story may be really cheesy. But, I don't care because I love fluffy Brucas. This is totally AU just so everyone knows. Anyways, I spent pretty much all night writing this and it is four o'clock in the morning and I'm exhausted. Please review and let me know what you think because I wasn't so sure about this story.**_


End file.
